Zenith and Collective Horology team up for new Defy Skyline CX Edition
In 2019, Collective Horology made its global debut with the Chronomaster El Primero C.01, its first public collaboration with fake Zenith. The watch is an almost clinical version of Zenith’s famous chronograph, with a stylish off-white dial and no 4:30 date window. Collective Horology is no longer a members-only watch enthusiast club and currently sells independent brands such as Arcanaut, Garrick and Fears. However, the two founders remain equally passionate watch enthusiasts, and this week they will launch their tenth collaborative project, the CX Edition, with the brand that pioneered it, Zenith.
Zenith is a watchmaker that has gone through more than a few changes in the past five years. Not only did the company usher in new leadership earlier this year, it also revamped the approach of many of its collections through redesigns and integrations. One of the new faces is the Defy Skyline, which was launched in 2022 and is the new foundation for the modern Defy design language. The Defy Skyline replaces the Defy Classic with the same angular, one-piece case, and while it adds a bit of weight in the process, it gives Zenith a more flexible platform, something the brand does very well.
The latest addition to the Defy family is a collaboration with Collective Horology, and it’s called the CX Edition (the “X” stands for the tenth collaboration with the California-based company). This new watch follows some of the same themes found in the original Zenith C.01, namely a clean, tone-on-tone design and a keen eye for detail. Like the C.01, this watch lacks a date display, instead letting the unique dial texture play out to maximum effect. The four-pointed star pattern on the dial tapers off at the edges, a first for the Defy Skyline. This design gives the octagonal bezel more room to move without clashing with the dense pattern. It’s a nice move, and one I’d love to see appear in the regular production Defy Skyline collection.
The dial itself has just one additional element: a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock that delivers the high-frequency energy of the 5Hz El Primero 3620 SK movement to the dial in dramatic fashion, with the hand completing a circle every 10 seconds. The only number on the entire dial is located at the top of this subdial, the number 10 rendered in orange. This serves two purposes – marking those 10 seconds, but also representing Collective Horology’s tenth collaboration. A small amount of orange is also used on the tip of the seconds hand for added cohesion.
The steel case is still 41mm, and although there are no real lugs, it wears more like a 40mm watch. Both the case and bracelet have a sandblasted texture, but the polished edges define the bezel shape. It’s a unified design that feels natural at first glance, with a lot of interesting details waiting to be discovered on closer inspection. The result is probably the most mature Defy Skyline design we’ve seen from Zenith to date, and it supports the spirit of Collective Horology with its ability to tell a story. best replica watches